Sales leaders spend a great deal of time talking to managers on how to be effective coaches. However, it’s important for salespeople to realize that they need to be coachable as well.
When it comes to coaching success, half of the equation is whether the receivers of the coaching are actually coachable. And as a sales consultant who has worked with a multitude of managers, I constantly tell them to not hire “uncoachable” salespeople.
What Being Coachable Looks Like
Being coachable means you’re open to ideas and receptive to new strategies. In particular, coachable salespeople do not say “no.” Instead, they say, “How can I apply that?” or “How can I integrate this?” Ask for examples if you’re confused or unsure about an idea, and try it! What do you have to lose?
Saying “no” outright makes you look stubborn and unwilling to change. Not only will it impede your progress, but it will also cause you to look uncoachable from your manager’s perspective. Additionally, playing devil’s advocate is not the right thing to do in a coaching session because that will never go the way you intend it. You’re just being stubborn and belligerent in the mind and eyes of your sales manager.
It’s crucial that you work on being coachable. It’s one of the best behaviours you can adopt and nurture as a sales professional that will propel your career.
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This advice is spot on. No mater where one is on the sales diagram, we need to be open to new ideas. I’ve been selling for over 30 years and and have been open to the Challenger Sales training program.
Coaching is an opportunity never to miss. It benefits all.
[…] You might have heard of this idea—to talk about the “doom and gloom” or the worst possible outcomes. […]
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